Assam CM Gogoi distributes land deeds to city dwellers

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday formally initiated the process to grant the ownership deeds to city dwellers occupying government land for over 10 years with handing over the documents to them on a day when farmer activist Pranab Boro set himself ablaze demanding land rights.

The Chief Minister said the process for distribution of land patta (land deed) to those who have occupied government land for 10 years and above has started in right earnest.

"We have started the process of distribution of patta from today and it would be completed in due course of time," he said.

He said it was unfortunate that some sections had been trying to put hurdles on the way of allotting patta.

"Everything has been carried out in consultation with Krishak Mukti Sangram Samity leader Akhil Gogoi," the Chief Minister said.

"They can demand that the process be expedited and raise other issues. We would listen to them. But why they should put a spanner in the process of distribution of land patta, which they have been demanding since long," he added.

Gogoi, however, asserted the government would not allow encroachment on forests land and wetlands at any cost.

“The destruction of forests has led to flash floods resulting in heavy erosion rendering many homeless and affecting lakhs of acres of agricultural land due to siltation,” Gogoi said.

"The encroachment on wetlands will also lead to an alarming situation and may result in drinking water scarcity, health and other problems. We cannot allow things to drift to a point of no return," he added.

The Chief Minister said in granting land patta the preference would be given to those living below the poverty-line, homeless and landless people.

The first recipient of land patta was Purnima Saikia, mother of Deepamoni Saikia who had died in a bomb blast in Guwahati in October 2008.

Hitting out at Akhil Gogoi for creating a situation by resorting to agitation on the day of distribution of land deeds, Revenue Minister Prithivi Majhi said, “It was clearly spelt out to him in course of a meeting with the Chief Minister on December 9 last year that the entire process of allotting land patta to around 70,000 to 75,000 dwellers living in hills and plains of Guwahati would take at least three years and not six months as demanded by him."

"It was agreed upon to start the process of issuing land patta. And now he has taken a U-turn and creating an uncalled for situation," Majhi claimed.

Pranab Boro set himself on fire in front of the Secretariat here on Monday morning and succumbed to his wounds in the GMC Hospital later in the day triggering protest across the state.